My $5.55 Lunch at Arkansas Heart Hospital

And it got me to thinking … are there other extremely reasonable, kinda quirky places to find a nice lunch in Little Rock? The answer is yes. One such place is the Arkansas Heart Hospital (1701 S. Shackleford Road) where, on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday (from 11am-2pm), you can order a $5 bowl of ramen. With tax, the total cost comes to $5.55.

That’s a real $5.55 because there’s no tip involved.

Yes, it’s a simple, no frills cafeteria-style lunch, but if you’ve never eaten at Coby’s (name of the cafe), I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the fast service, and, more importantly, this satisfying bowl of ramen.

Each day brings a different version of the soup. Today, I had a pork-based broth with noodles, chicken, cilantro, pickled onions, a marinated egg, parsnips, and carrots. While this certainly isn’t the most authentic bowl of ramen you’ll ever it, the flavors are delicious, and the overall bowl is hearty enough to fill you up. This was my second experience with Arkansas Heart Hospital ramen, and while the first time was good, this time around was even better because of an improved broth. Again, Coby’s rotates proteins in the ramen, and you’ll see anything from a slab of steak to shrimp to pork belly.

Here’s a tip … ask for it spicy. It’s still not very spicy, but anything less would be a little underwhelming, IMHO.

If you’re looking for a quick lunch that’s super cheap, check out Coby’s. Heck, if you’re a fast eater like me, you can get in and out of there in less than 20 minutes. And if you don’t like seeing other humans, you can even sneak out of the side patio door.

And another thing, Coby’s has a nice patio area … perfect for devouring a bowl of ramen on a 70-degree winter’s day in Little Rock.